


The Gentleman's Guide to Prompts and Short Fic

by HMS_Chill



Category: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue Series - Mackenzi Lee
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, monty is real traumatized my dudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:28:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25624393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HMS_Chill/pseuds/HMS_Chill
Summary: A collection of short fics/ prompts from folks over on my tumblr- “I need a hug.” / “I’m going to keep you safe.” / “I want to protect you.”
Relationships: Henry "Monty" Montague/Percy Newton
Comments: 11
Kudos: 52





	The Gentleman's Guide to Prompts and Short Fic

I’m not entirely sure what happened. We’re on our way back to England from Greece, and i was on the deck with the others, playing cards and losing badly when there was a slam, a sound like an angry door shutting or a threatening foot on the stairs. I jumped, scattering cards along the table, and had just started to pick them up when the shouting started. And suddenly, my hands are shaking too much to even consider picking up a card. Suddenly every sense is on high alert, and my hands are coming up to protect my face. I can’t breathe. I can’t hear anything over the sound of my heart in my ears. I have to get out.

Someone touches my arm, and I nearly scream. I might have, if I’d had the breath to spare for it. Instead, I flinch so hard I practically eject myself from the game, and can barely manage a stammered excuse before I’m retreating to the darkness below decks, finding a spot in the hold between barrels of fresh water and olive oil to shove myself into. It’s the darkest, most secluded spot on the ship I can think of, though it’s not exactly easy to hide from the others while we’re in the middle of the ocean. I try not to think about that. Focusing on breathing is more important. Somewhere, I process that I’m probably crying.

“Henry?”

It’s Scipio’s voice, but the sound of my father’s name is still enough to make me flinch. It’s a name associated with anger and punishment, and with the man who used to dole those things out. I flinch back into a barrel, and something behind me shifts, and I can’t help the whimper as my heart races again, every muscle in my body tensing to protect me from whatever fight is coming. My hands are shaking again, so I stuff them into my pockets and move a barrel a bit with my foot, revealing my hiding spot as Scipio says, “I want to protect you, Monty. I’m sorry about the yelling.”

He kneels next to me stiffly and reaches a hand out to touch me, but I flinch back into the barrels, and he retracts it with the barest hint of a smile. “I’m sorry, boy. Truly. I’ll tell the crew there’s to be no shouting at each other for this voyage; I should have done it earlier.”

“It’s... it’s not your fault,” I tell him, once I’ve recovered enough breath to say anything.

“Still, I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do for you now?” I risk a look up at him, and there’s no pity or anger in his face. Nothing threatening, nothing to make me worry. So I take a deep breath and decide to risk it.

“I... can you... I need a hug,” I tell my shoes. It’s true, however embarrassing or frightening it may be to admit it. What I really need, more than anything, is a reminder that I can be loved and protected. And a moment later, I get that reassurance as I’m pulled against Scipio’s chest, held so close I can feel his heartbeat in my temple and the place where my ear should be. His arms are strong, and his chest is solid and warm, and I am almost entirely encompassed in his hug. For what may be the first time in my life, I’m glad I’m so short, because it makes it easier for him to hold me.

“I’ve got you. I’m going to keep you safe,” Scipio says. There’s a thudding on the stairs, and I look up to see Percy, worry all over his face. He relaxes a bit as he sees me with Scipio, and I offer him the best smile I can manage. He comes to run a hand through my hair gently, asking me how I am in a tone that refuses to pass any judgement. Scipio gives me a last squeeze and relinquishes me to Percy’s hug instead, promising he’ll talk to the crew as he leaves the two of us alone in the hold. Percy holds me close, his hand in my hair as I relax against him. We stay like that for what feels like both a long time and no time at all, him rubbing my back as I remind my body of how to breathe and stop shaking.

“Want to play pirates?” Percy asks once I’ve calmed down, and it’s unexpected enough to make me laugh a bit. Growing up, our pirate ship was in the trees behind Percy’s house. Pirates took us away from my parents, and away from the house where I grew up. Pirates was a safe game, one where we could be just the two of us happily in the woods, and even when we outgrew the games, our pirate ship was still a place we would go if something went wrong with my father, or when it all became just a bit too much. By the time we left home, playing pirates had come to mean simply leaving my father’s house for somewhere quieter and safer.

“I... I’m not sure I need to play pirates right now, but thank you. Thank you for putting up with me for so long.”

“You’re a joy to put up with,” he tells me, “at least, you are when it’s a problem like this. I don’t mind this one bit.”

I smile and cuddle up to him a bit more, and he smiles, playing with my hair a bit more. Eventually, we’ll go back up on deck and I’ll have to try to explain why I ran to hide at something so simple, but for now, I can cuddle up to Percy and trust him to make things better.


End file.
